Located off the West Coast of Africa, the Cape Verde archipelago is Europe's closest tropical island paradise. It shares the same latitude as Barbados, enjoys the same glorious climate and it is only 5.5 hours away from the UK and an hour behind GMT.

Cape Verde is being dubbed as the ‘New Caribbean’ and it is easy to see why with its long, white sandy beaches fringed with palm trees, crystal clear waters and lush, verdant interiors.

The Portuguese discovered the islands in 1460 and established the first European settlement in the tropics at Ribeira Grande on the island of Santiago which is now the breadbasket of the country and the largest of all the islands. It is approximately 75kms long, 35kms wide and covers 1,000 square kilometers of diverse terrain. Half the population of Cape Verde lives on Santiago and the local hospitality and rich culture is evident when touring around the island.

The island has dramatic and contrasting countryside from spectacular mountainous scenery to idyllic white beaches. The verdant mountainous interior offers superb hiking and breath-taking views in all directions. Impressive volcanic peaks soar some 5,000 feet into the sky, jutting out like serrated teeth!

The Sao Jorge region boasts beautiful botanical gardens and one of the largest baobab trees in the world. Santiago's north east coastline has deep ribeiras (river valleys) with huge plantations growing banana, sugar cane, papaya, lime and other fruits and vegetables. An indigenous bird, the Passarinha, which looks like a kind of Kingfisher, is well worth spotting and there are local wild monkeys in the interior. A few beaches are used as nesting places by turtles and offshore, shoals of brightly coloured fish swim around centuries-old shipwrecks. For the more adventurous, some of the best game fishing possible lies off Santiago, with the opportunity to land blue marlin, swordfish and yellow-fin tuna. Migrating sperm, humpback and melon whales can also be seen.

The island of Sal is generally considered to be the gateway to Cape Verde as it was here that the first international airport was built in 1939.  The island provides high quality tourism and attracts international wind and kite surfers to some of the best surfing beaches in the world.  Lying in the Trade Winds belt, with a gentle Atlantic swell, conditions are ideal with steady winds and safe beaches.  The main tourist resort is Santa Maria which has been growing steadily over the last 20 years specifically to accommodate the growth in tourism. There are many places to visit on the island including splendid beaches with facilities for sea sports, lobster farms and at Buracona there is a stunning natural swimming pool which fills and empties according to the tides.

Cape Verde gained its independence in 1975, but Portuguese is still the official language (along with the locally spoken Creole), and the islands’ colonial past remains much in evidence today. In the historic old port, Cidade Velha on Santiago, a UNESCO World Heritage site, you can walk the narrow, cobbled streets and visit the 15th century fortress built at the mouth of Ribeira Grande. The islands’ rich African heritage is evident everywhere too; from its vibrant music scene, colourful markets and lively festivals held throughout the year.

Until recently, Cape Verde was beyond the reach of holidaymakers and homeowners. Now with the opening of a number of international airports on Sal and Santiago, it is set to emerge as a significant tourism destination - and an outstanding property opportunity for early investors.

 

Climate

The near perfect climate is classified as dry tropical, with low humidity. The average sea and air temperatures are between 26°C and 22°C and during the day there are generally 10-12 hours of sunshine and cloudless skies.

Despite being closer to the equator, recorded highs are more pleasant than the Canaries due to Cape Verde's maritime climate. Rainfall is concentrated to three months between mid-July and mid-October. Rainfall is exceptionally low and erratic and humidity does not occur except when it rains.